Audio Rant ! Don't Get Ripped Off You Guys.

[miike williams 0]

I was browsing EBAY and I came across an advert for a 1000W system featuring 4 X 8" speakers. Since that would be some trick (if you know how speakers work, cones, wire etc), I took a look

 

Well. The AMP was rated at 500W peak ie 250W per channel into 4 ohms.

Peak power is the fact that all amps will hit very high power levels for very short periods of time (really short). To accomodate this amp power should be calculated in Watts RMS.

So, for 250W peak the RMS power, the continuous power pumped out, would be around 150W ish.

But this is into 4 ohm and the speakers are stated as 8 ohm, so now we get around 75W RMS.

Where did the imaginary 1000W go? In distorted notes out of your pocket abnd into their till.

Those 8" speakers mught just handle the 75W (at say 35W/speaker), but not for too long with the volume up.!!!

 

I get so ANGRY when I see these crap systems for sale. You should try and get at least 50% higher rated speakers than thhe amp. Anyway, the above is why you get to a gig and it sounds terrible.

 

Another thing: most disco speakers are made of plastic and the only material I can think of that would be worse is cheese. All good speakers are in wood cabs and well insulated inside (more tech stuff about that). Bass reflex? You can't cut a hole in your cabs and make then bass reflex--there is math involved to get the opening right. Yeah wood cabs are heavy (mine are 1" marine ply) but the sound....

 

Finally, if you whacck up the amp until; it distorts get ready to spend money. When modern amps (not valves) are overdriven they do what is called 'clipping' and the result is lots more current and lots of heat in the amp. Eventually one or both give up.

 

Oh yeah, music power. It doesn't exist. There is no such measure nor any way of measuring it. Music Power was a 70s made up term to make something crap sound a bit better, think early Amstrad music centres and Fidelity record players.

 

I feel better now. Just added some compression horns to my home brew 1000W RMS amp and they sound awesome.